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As we begin the second half of the season, the Heat are going to playing at home a lot and should have a fully healthy roster for the first time this season by the end of February. The first half of the season has been an unprecedented success. Heat fans had high hopes before the season started, but injuries and Covid issues sweeping through the roster would have made even the most optimistic Heat fan a little deflated. Yet Miami has prevailed and sit just percentage points off the #1 seed as the roster repairs and we head to the second half.
Here are my personal ratings for each player this season, along with a little explanation as to why…
#2, Gabe Vincent -- B+
Gabe has had himself a breakout year. He has provided productive minutes off the bench and has filled in well with the starters in place of Lowry and/or when they have been out Herro. He had back-to-back career highs against the Sixers and Pacers, and has been excellent value for money for the Heat. Depending on Oladipo’s health when he returns, Gabe has proved himself to be a reliable back-up option for Coach Spoelstra in the playoffs.
#4, Victor Oladipo -- N/A
Hasn’t played a minute of basketball this season due to surgery on his right quad in May. The Heat are hopeful to have Vic back after the All-Star break and if he’s anywhere near full health, he will help move the needle for the Heat.
#5, Kyle Guy (Two-Way) -- C+
Jack Harlow 2.0 has performed very well on his two 10-day contracts, earning himself a two-way deal for the remainder of the season after Marcus Garrett was waived due to a season ending surgery. Showed good production in limited minutes and looks like a confident scorer.
#7, Kyle Lowry -- A+
I’ve spoken many times about the impact Kyle has had on the Heat. He has been the Heat’s most important player this year – adjusting quickly to his new surroundings and teammates, while navigating a depleted Heat squad through a six week spell largely without their two best players. While the stats aren’t that eye catching, his value and ability to improve those around him should not be understated.
#8, Markieff Morris -- C
Hard to judge as he’s played so few games after the ‘incident’ with Nikola Jokić. Provided decent production in the games he has played so far, but has missed the majority of the season and there’s still no timetable for his return.
#11, KZ Okpala -- C
Had a spell of a few games where he looked to be living up to the potential the Heat see in him, but has since regressed to his standard of the past years. Doesn’t get many minutes and largely fails to make the most of his opportunities in them.
#13, Bam Adebayo -- B+
The Heat’s heart and soul and arguably most impactful player. Missed almost six weeks due to surgery on his thumb but the Heat managed to stay afloat without him. He continues to be one of the best all-round defenders and multi-talented big man in the league. Having a career year in scoring and has been more aggressive on the offensive end this year.
#14, Tyler Herro -- A-
Undisputed Sixth Man of the Year. Herro has always been good at putting the ball in the hoop, but has developed his game dramatically this year. Ball handling and playmaking has improved markedly, to where he’s now comfortable running an offense and creating his own shot off the dribble or driving and getting to the line. Extra work in the gym this summer has helped him out in that regard, as well as defensively too. Maybe lacks some consistency when in the starting group, but averaging more than 20 ppg coming off the bench, should be an All-Star.
#16, Caleb Martin (Two-Way) -- A-
No-one expected the level of production Miami has had out of Caleb Martin. In terms of value for money, he is arguably the best in the league on a two-way contract. An elite perimeter defender with boundless energy who can handle the ball and score with ease. His performances have earned him an important role in the rotation even with key players coming back and his incredible defense alone may have earned him some playoff minutes. He’s everything the Heat thought Derrick Jones, Jr. would be, and much more.
#17, P. J. Tucker -- A
Similar to Lowry, has been one of the most impactful players for Miami this year. Having a resurgence at the tender age of 36 and is leading the league in 3-point percentage. His Championship experience, basketball IQ, and phenomenal defence has given Miami a foundation from which to build success. An elite ‘floor raiser’, read more about that here… https://ollyrahimi.wixsite.com/website/post/raise-the-roof-or-raise-the-floor
#21, Dewayne Dedmon -- B
The Mechanic is the perfect back-up big man for Bam Adebayo. He brings energy, toughness, rebounding, and a soft touch around the rim in the minutes Bam is resting. Has a very good connection with Herro off the bench and another excellent value contract for Miami.
#22, Jimmy Butler -- A
Playing at an MVP level and having arguably the best year of his career. He’s the Heat’s talisman who can win a game by himself. Has missed time due to recurring injuries and can’t seem to stay healthy for long stretches which could prove to be worrisome come playoff time, but when he is on the court and playing as well as he can, he is the Heat’s best.
#30, Chris Silva -- C
Did what was needed of him during his 10-day contracts. Energy and rebounding are a given with Silva, his hands need some work but he gave the Heat important assistance in a difficult stretch in his limited minutes.
#31, Max Strus -- B
Undoubtedly his breakout year. Another diamond in the rough found by Miami’s scouting department. Elite 3-point shooting, explosive off the drive and a competent defender. Averaged 15.5 ppg as a starter, but excels in being the second option on the Heat’s bench behind Herro.
#40, Udonis Haslem -- A+
Anything else is a crime against #HeatCulture. OG. ‘Nuff said.
#55, Duncan Robinson -- B
Has been the subject of another Heat Twitter civil war this year. Has had bad stretches and good stretches, and is shooting 35% on 8.5 attempts from 3 this year. Consistency in his confidence seems to be his biggest hurdle this year. When he’s feeling it, he’s elite. When he’s not, he can’t make shots you’d expect him to make in his sleep. Overall game has developed a lot from his first two years, but he might be a victim of his own success, and now on a larger contract, it’s not unreasonable to expect more.
#77, Ömer Yurtseven -- B+
Started the season looking shaky and fragile, but work in the gym with Caron Butler, UD, and others has paid off and Yurt has become a force. Averaged 14.6 points and 13.9 rebounds in 10 games as a starter while Bam and Dedmon were injured, was a +/- +65 across that span and the first Rookie since Shaq to record at least 15 rebounds in four straight games. Will be an unfortunate consequence of Dedmon and Adebayo’s return to fitness and may see his minutes become limited again.
Coach, Erik Spoelstra -- A+
This man is Coach of the Year. With my bias as a Heat fan or not, how he is not being mentioned in that conversation is an abomination. It’s not uncommon for Heat staff/players to go under-appreciated by the media (read about that here: https://ollyrahimi.wixsite.com/website/post/why-don-t-the-media-give-the-heat-their-flowers), but Spo deserves the award. For over a decade, he has proven himself to be an elite coach, but this season has highlighted his abilities even more. While missing his two best players, he has taken a team of 10 undrafted guys to the summit of the Eastern conference while teams around them struggled despite having their star players available for the majority. There was a stretch where Miami’s bench was made up entirely of players on 10-day contracts, but they still came out of it with a winning record. It’s testament to his abilities as a coach and a man manager to repeatedly get the best out of people who have been overlooked for the entirety of their careers.
A special mention also needs to go to the Heat’s scouting and development programme for continuously finding these guys among the rubble and thrusting them into the spotlight of the NBA. In Miami Heat history, there are certainly more hits than misses in this category.
Overall -- A
It’s been a weird season. Rosters have been filled with guys on 10-day contracts, stars have missed games and we’ve been taken back to 2014 as Mario Chalmers briefly returned to Miami.
But overall, to be only percentage points behind #1 in the East with a roster built for playoff success, it has been a phenomenal season so far for Miami. Ultimately, it’ll all count for nothing with failure in the postseason. The goal is to win chip number 4 and Miami are looming perfectly to do just that.
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